TJ's reserve SB for the folks to try.
Wellington 07 Sonoma valley zin for me with the BBQ.

Twisted Oak Calaveras County 2006 Viognier. This has an interesting, aged nose and flavour; definitely an acquired tasted for some, and classic (to me) aged Viognier. As I mentioned last time I tasted this, it's more enjoyable on the 2nd or 3rd day.

Floral, woodsy, spicy, and an unmistakeable aroma that I smell on most aged Viogniers and some other whites, but don't know how to describe it. That aromna follows through on the flavour, too (varnish? - but not in a bad way).

2007 Château Paradis Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Terre des Anges

2009 Gård Vintners Freyja White Wine Lawrence Vineyards

The Paradis is still tasting wonderful and was well received and perfect for drinking while in the pool today.

The Freyja was also very crisp and refreshing with a little bit a sweet to fight the hot day. No formal notes, but I was pleased with this one.

2004 Astrale e Terra Syrah Estate Atlas Peak
with grilled brats, leeks, kabocha, corn and zucchini with some homemade spiced beets.
Great outdoor grilling on the new appliance I'm still getting used to.

Drinking pretty well, some berry fruit, tannins well integrated to just dry you out a bit, minimal alcohol for a 14.2 ABV. This stood up to the brats, but just.

Don't know what's going to go with some un-named pie that's to follow...

Kent Rasmussen Grenache Rose. Not as red-fruited as I prefer my rose, but a tasty wine. Way better than the barrel samples we had on the 2010 Tour.

North316 wrote:2007 Château Paradis Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Terre des Anges

I brought one of my last few bottles of this to a 4th of July party. Have you noticed any tartrates in your bottles? This was the first bottle of this I can recall getting them on, and of course, some of my friends who aren't wine geeks were freaked out by them.

Also accidentally brought a bottle of the Twisted Oak Graciano (though I pulled out a different TO bottle). It was too young to be sacrificed at such a party but still a very interesting wine.

redwinefan wrote:Have you noticed any tartrates in your bottles?

Yes, noticed them in both the bottles I have drank, both attached to the cork and some floating. No big deal to me though.

rjquillin wrote:2004 Astrale e Terra Syrah Estate Atlas Peak
with grilled brats, leeks, kabocha,

Are you from the midwest? Not many people outside of the area call them brats.

Imo, it has been way too hot to be drinking wine.

I've been drinking Leinie's Berry Weiss. I know it is a total cop out, but it is the beer I find refreshing on hot evenings!

lurkey wrote:Are you from the midwest? Not many people outside of the area call them brats.

Imo, it has been way too hot to be drinking wine.

I've been drinking Leinie's Berry Weiss. I know it is a total cop out, but it is the beer I find refreshing on hot evenings!

I'm in So Cal and we call them brats.

kylemittskus wrote:I'm in So Cal and we call them brats.

Huh, interesting. I lived in NYC for 4 years in college and I never met someone who called them brats unless they were from the Midwest.

Not that we would talk about brats very often. =)

lurkey wrote:Huh, interesting. I lived in NYC for 4 years in college and I never met someone who called them brats unless they were from the Midwest.

Not that we would talk about brats very often. =)

So what do they call them in NYC?

North316 wrote:So what do they call them in NYC?

I was gonna ask the same thing...

Bratwurst...

lurkey wrote:Are you from the midwest? Not many people outside of the area call them brats.

Originally, but I've been in San Diego since '68, excepting three or four years in the LA foothills when I worked in Hollywood at Paramount. I actually think we called them bratwurst in IN before I left there to go-West. In WI, when I visit for the annual Oshkosh air show, they are BRATS!

Imo, it has been way too hot to be drinking wine.

Not here. Been in the 70's at the coast, to perhaps upper 80's inland where I now call home. May have touched low 90's for a day or two. 50's and 60's at night. Absolutely wonderful WX for whites or reds.

kylemittskus wrote:I'm in So Cal and we call them brats.

I'm in SoCal too! But we call them bacon wrapped hotdogs. The official food of LA.

Another reason of the over 1 million reasons I need to move somewhere else.

Oh and still working on the Wellington zin from last night. Super smooth with a little bit of spice and a hint of prune that only a zin can produce.
Excellent for the $.

rjquillin wrote:2004 Astrale e Terra Syrah Estate Atlas Peak
...

just popped the same with grass-fed bleu cheese burgers and roasted stuffed poblanos. What a great food wine and insane QPR. This one still has a few good years left, as it took an hour+ to fully open up. Delicious.

Wellington 07' Sonoma valley Cab. Franc
7/6/2012: I've always heard that the franc is a great pizza wine. But Peter's seems like it would go perfectly with nearly anything (maybe that's what pizza wine means)or by itself.
Dark maroon with nose of dark ripe cherries and cola, hint of plum. Palate is more plum than cherry.
Nice tannic finish with no green bell pepper that can sometimes dominate the varietal. Great wine

2009 Woot Cellars Blitzen

kylemittskus wrote:2009 Woot Cellars Blitzen

How's that one doing? I haven't wanted to try it yet, given that it's both Ty and Woot Cellars.

2010 Summerland Viognier Late Harvest Paradise Road Vineyard

I'll be having a bottle of this shortly. Will report back with some notes.

klezman wrote:How's that one doing? I haven't wanted to try it yet, given that it's both Ty and Woot Cellars.

Kind of boring, actually. Nice acid, red fruits, and not much else. Certainly not bad at all, but just one-dimensional. Drinks at its price point at this point. I'll hold the rest for at least another 6 months.

Going thru the Danby cooler looking for misplaced inventory found a 2007 Gazzi PN I'd opened at least a couple of weeks ago and forgotten about, as it was in the wrong cooler for an open bottle. Curious, and not wanting it to go to waste, I poured a glass. Backfilled with Argon, this had lost only a bit of what it had when first opened. I may have to gather some rats and try an experiment, if I can find any volunteers.

2009 Jaffurs Grenache

The R2 Rhapsody 2009 with some grilled chicken and corn on the cob. The 2009 blend is more of a Grenache (blended at 85%), than a typical GSM blend and it shows.

In the mood for something unique. Chilling is a pecan blush

bkarlan wrote:In the mood for something unique. Chilling is a pecan blush

Not the Green Chili!?

At JavaDrinker's wedding. Had a nice plastic glass of Torrontes and a Vina Robles Sauvignon Blanc.

With dinner, ClaFu brought a 2007 Rudius (Mendocino) Syrah. ZTimBz and Clay liked it, but I thought it needed more time.

Also opened a Lido Bay Mutiney (red blend). I liked it, but ClayFu not so much (ok, but wouldn't spend more than $10), and Tim thought it was like a young ruby port.

It opened nicely, but agree partially w/ clayfu ... wouldn't pay much morethan $20.

rjquillin wrote:Not the Green Chili!?

Naw, I needed a sweet blush and this is doing it?

Tomorrow. Is taco night so it will either be red or green chile wine

2010 Kent Rasmussen Sauvignon Blanc love this grog!

Beef tamale, pulled pork quesedilla, shrimp taco, black beans and guac;
New Mexico Hatch Green Chile white.
Thanks bkarlan.
would never have purchased, SWMBO gave high approval, if very strange looks.

North316 wrote:2010 Summerland Viognier Late Harvest Paradise Road Vineyard

I'll be having a bottle of this shortly. Will report back with some notes.

I would be interested to hear your comments. I was disappotinted, but that might be due to having Kent's Estroica Late Harvest Viognier on my mind.

burns72 wrote:I would be interested to hear your comments. I was disappotinted, but that might be due to having Kent's Estroica Late Harvest Viognier on my mind.

This was definitely no KR LH Viognier, nor did I expect it to be. It was decent for $10 but I wouldn't pay any more for it. I don't have any notes in front of me but I remember decent sweetness with some balancing acidity and more pears, apples, peaches than I espected (I usually get more in the apricot spectrum from Viognier). I still have some of this bottle bottle left and need to try it after it has been open for a couple of days. I recall sort of a harshness to it that I could not quite pinpoint, but I'm hoping that will be gone when I finish it off.

North316 wrote:This was definitely no KR LH Viognier, nor did I expect it to be. It was decent for $10 but I wouldn't pay any more for it. I don't have any notes in front of me but I remember decent sweetness with some balancing acidity and more pears, apples, peaches than I espected (I usually get more in the apricot spectrum from Viognier). I still have some of this bottle bottle left and need to try it after it has been open for a couple of days. I recall sort of a harshness to it that I could not quite pinpoint, but I'm hoping that will be gone when I finish it off.

Tried one bottle awhile ago and was not a fan. I guess the bar was set too high. I ended up gifting the other bottle away. The recieptents loved it, however they never had the KR to compare it to.

Chilled a Davis Family Vineyards White Rhone blend. Took the capsule off (stuck) and had total heat leakage. Emailed woot for replacements > refund. I really wanted that wine.

Francois Villard Mairlant St Joseph Blanc 2006 Marsanne, Roussane.

Followed by a 2003 Twisted Oak *%#&@!

What a great night!

Scott Harvey 2007 Reserve Barbera. Very tasty, and although it didn't go as well as I'd hoped with tomato sauce it is a fun nice wine.

kylemittskus wrote:Chilled a Davis Family Vineyards White Rhone blend. Took the capsule off (stuck) and had total heat leakage. Emailed woot for replacements > refund. I really wanted that wine.

I had one that was bad too. Woot and davis made good on it though. I appreciate companies that stand firmly by their products

Triacipedis III tonight. Drinking nicely.

Poured half into one of my 375ml bottles to save for tomorrow.

kylemittskus wrote:Chilled a Davis Family Vineyards White Rhone blend. Took the capsule off (stuck) and had total heat leakage. Emailed woot for replacements > refund. I really wanted that wine.

We opened a 2008 Root 1 Chardonnay after this (the only other chilled white we had) and it was heavily oxidized and just bad. We were not meant to drink wine last night.